The Innocent Heart - Chapter 87

Li Ting stood in the center of the crowd, his temples throbbing with a sharp pain.

Many among the officers and soldiers in the army had been promoted or cared for by the Li family; thus, they harbored quite a few grievances regarding the arrangements His Majesty had made for this expedition beyond the Pass. By extension, they showed no courtesy toward these young men.

As for Li Ting’s own view on the matter, it was largely the same as that of the soldiers. What could a few “young master soldiers” from the capital possibly achieve? They likely found a few commoners on the road to act as placeholders, fearing punishment for their late return.

He had intended to turn a blind eye and let the matter slide, but Huo Qubing’s public interrogation caused the anger he had been suppressing due to days of anxiety to flare up instantly. These youths showed him far too little respect; if he continued to indulge them, how could he lead his troops in the future?

“Leaving camp without cause is a major taboo in the military! If you hadn’t returned in time, and the soldiers of the Pass had encountered a Xiongnu incursion while searching for you, do you have any idea what the consequences would have been?!”

It was now early spring, and the ice and snow on the prairie were melting. After being frozen for a season, the Xiongnu were exhausted, and their horses were weary; it was a time for them to rest and recuperate. Li Ting and the others naturally knew that the Xiongnu Royal Court had no leisure to harass the borders of the Great Han at this moment. They were busy holding celebrations and assisting with the birth of livestock.

Even if Xiongnu did occasionally invade, they were mostly very small bands of stragglers or bandits, much like the small squad that had slaughtered the village the day before. However, he did not intend to explain this to Huo Qubing and the others; he only wanted to use this moment to suppress their “arrogant” spirit so they would cause him less trouble in the future.

To his surprise, as soon as he finished speaking, Huo Qubing showed no fear. Instead, he let out a cold snort and countered, “What consequences? Consequences like this?”

As his voice fell, Li Ting saw him casually toss the bundle he had been clutching in his hand onto the ground. Immediately, the coarse cloth wrapped around the outer layer unfurled, and several dark objects tumbled out with a rolling sound.

The surrounding people looked closely, and soon, one exclamation after another rang out.

“These… these are Xiongnu heads!”

“Commandant Li, I wonder if these five enemy heads are enough to offset the crimes of the three of us?” Huo Qubing continued his inquiry, his tone laced with mockery.

Li Ting’s face stiffened. Looking at the five heads scattered on the ground, he couldn’t help but swallow hard. “Did… did the three of you truly kill them?”

“If we didn’t kill them, was it perhaps you lot who did?” Guan Yueyao still didn’t quite dare to look at the heads on the ground, so she tilted her head up with a feigned look of disdain to snap back.

Li Ting fell silent. Glancing at the bloodstains on their bodies and the blade marks on their armor, he realized that what the three said was true. He couldn’t help but feel a secret surge of amazement in his heart. For three youths of such a tender age to be able to slay five adult Xiongnu men—even if there were specific circumstances—they were by no means ordinary people to be trifled with.

The surrounding soldiers had all fallen silent since seeing the five heads, staring blankly at the three youths.

“Since that is the case, go back to your rooms and rest. I shall report the merit of these decapitations truthfully,” Li Ting said. His face was still somewhat stiff, but his tone had softened considerably.

Seeing that everyone in the Pass had gone quiet, Huo Qubing did not press the matter further. Pulling Guan Yueyao and Chen Zhi along, he strode away.

“Qubing, why didn’t you scold them more? They truly look down on people!” Having walked some distance away, Guan Yueyao was still somewhat indignant. She turned to look at the dispersing crowd behind them and asked crossly.

“They only have prejudices against us because they see us as imperial relatives. Rather than wasting useless words on them, it is better to wait and show our true mettle on the battlefield. Otherwise, even if we won the argument today, what of it? If we didn’t have those Xiongnu heads, do you think they would truly shut their mouths?”

“So you cut off the heads because you already anticipated those people would have something to say about our late return?” Chen Zhi leaned in at this moment, asking as if he couldn’t quite believe it.

“Is that not obvious?” Huo Qubing said with a cold face. His mood was not particularly good, though not because of the spat in the army.

Since hearing the tearful complaints of the Han civilians last night, a heavy boulder seemed to be pressing down on his heart; a sense of stifled frustration remained within him with no place to be vented. Moreover, his first act of killing had come so unexpectedly. Although he appeared calm and composed on the surface, only Huo Qubing himself knew the waves of discomfort emanating from his stomach.

At this thought, he couldn’t help but quicken his pace, wanting to return to his room as soon as possible. He felt that he needed to be alone right now.

Returning to the courtyard where they were temporarily staying, the three bid each other farewell and hurried back to their respective rooms.

Conditions at the border were not as comfortable as in the capital. Soon, through the window, Huo Qubing heard a splashing sound of water, followed by a rather comical singing voice. The song lacked melody and the tune was off; Huo Qubing listened for a long time but couldn’t understand what his friend was actually singing. However, this amusing singing slightly diluted the unpleasantness in his heart.

Huo Qubing removed his clothing—which was stained with mud from rolling on the ground to dodge a Xiongnu scimitar—and soaked himself in the hot water that the accompanying servants had prepared earlier. The hot water washed away the bloodstains from the boy’s body, but it could not wash away the marks that killing had left in his heart. As soon as he closed his eyes, images of himself personally severing those heads flashed uncontrollably before his eyes again.

The discomfort in his stomach intensified because of this. To avoid losing his composure like Ayao and Chen Zhi, Huo Qubing forced his thoughts toward other things.

I wonder where Uncle has marched to by now, and if he has run into the Xiongnu? As Huo Qubing thought, the figures of the surviving Han civilians the three of them had rescued surfaced in his mind. In the places where the Xiongnu lived, there were likely many more Han people like them—only less fortunate—currently being enslaved by foreigners on that barren and alien land.

I hope Uncle and General Li’s expedition can liberate more innocent people… Huo Qubing was lost in thought. Time slipped away bit by bit; the warm water gradually grew ice-cold, yet he didn’t seem to notice at all.

“Qubing, Qubing, are you done washing? I brought some freshly steamed cakes. Are you hungry!” His friend’s characteristically boisterous voice suddenly came from outside the door, pulling Huo Qubing’s thoughts back to reality.

The chill in the water made him shiver, and he hurriedly stood up from the tub.

“Wait outside for a moment, I’ll be out once I’ve dressed.” Huo Qubing hurriedly wiped the dripping water from his body while taking the clean clothes the servants had prepared from the screen. Even with servants to look after him while traveling, it was never as comfortable as home; some things he had to do himself.

The area outside the door fell silent. Though Guan Yueyao was usually careless, she knew there was a difference between men and women. At the thought of her friend bathing inside and her nearly pushing the door open just now, she couldn’t help but feel embarrassed.

“Why are you so slow…” she muttered in a low voice to hide her awkwardness.

“What are you muttering about out there alone?” The door was suddenly opened from the inside. Huo Qubing stood before her with his hair down, looking at her strangely.

“Noth… nothing. I brought steamed cakes, let’s eat together. We haven’t eaten all day; I’m starving to death.” Guan Yueyao changed the subject, holding a plate of steamed cakes before him.

In truth, the kitchen had also made piping hot mutton soup, but having just experienced such an event, even a meat-lover like Guan Yueyao truly did not have much of an appetite for it today. To her surprise, Huo Qubing shook his head, his smile still somewhat forced. “Ayao, you eat. I have no appetite.”

This was truly the first time Guan Yueyao had seen Huo Qubing like this. She followed him into the room, carelessly placed the plate of cakes on the table, and leaned in to examine her friend. Although he had bathed and shed his disheveled appearance, looking on the surface like the same heroic and upright young gentleman, Guan Yueyao saw only his pale face and the loss of the familiar spark in his eyes.

“Qubing, are you… still thinking about last night?” Guan Yueyao did not speak plainly, but both knew exactly what she was referring to.

Seeing her friend in such a dispirited state, Guan Yueyao felt a secret surge of remorse. She and Chen Zhi hadn’t even personally cut off those Xiongnu heads, yet they had vomited so violently. What then of Qubing? Furthermore, he was the youngest of the three.

“Qubing, don’t force yourself to hold it in. Just vomit; you’ll feel better once it’s out.” Guan Yueyao looked at her friend with concern, her heart full of guilt. “At worst, I’ll keep watch for you. I guarantee no one but the two of us will know!”

Hearing his friend’s suggestion and seeing the worry on her face, Huo Qubing’s heart eased. It was as if Guan Yueyao’s care and persuasion had finally lowered the last of his defenses. A surge of nausea rose up, nearly becoming uncontrollable, and Huo Qubing covered his mouth with his hand.

“Quick, quick, quick, let’s go outside to vomit!” Seeing this, Guan Yueyao hurried to support her friend, flying toward the sandy ground beside the house.

Huo Qubing vomited until it felt as though even his bile would be entirely expelled before he stopped. Yet at this moment, he didn’t feel particularly miserable; on the contrary, just as his friend said, after vomiting like this, his body felt much more comfortable.

Huo Qubing straightened up, leaning his head against the nearby wall with a bit of exhaustion. Suddenly, a rustling sound reached his ears, making him turn his head in curiosity. It was Guan Yueyao, holding a broom that someone had carelessly left by the wall, sweeping up the mess he had just made.

“Ayao, what are you doing?” Huo Qubing asked strangely.

“Helping you cover this up so no one else finds it!” Guan Yueyao turned and smiled at her friend, her hands never stopping. “Hehe, look at it this way, Qubing: you kill ’em, I bury ’em. The two of us are officially co-conspirators now.”

Perhaps thinking the expression on her friend’s face wasn’t bright enough yet, Guan Yueyao even cracked a joke. Spring at the border arrived much later than in the capital, and this empty lot was still bare with only a few scattered specks of green. It was not difficult to sweep up a pile of sand and soil to cover the mess.

Hearing this, Huo Qubing felt a warmth in his heart. He stepped forward, snatched the broom from Guan Yueyao’s hand, tossed it aside, and said in a light tone: “Forget about that. I’m hungry—let’s go eat those steamed cakes you brought. They’ll be cold in a moment!”